Rafidah, better to dump a cheating boyfriend

YOURSAY 'Not changing our present government is akin to putting up with an abusive husband who has been abusing us for more than 50 years.'

Rafidah: Changing gov't not like changing boyfriend

Magnus: "Former Wanita Umno chief Rafidah Aziz today cautioned the voters not to treat changing a government like changing a car, boyfriend or girlfriend."

I note that wives are conspicuously absent in and/or deliberately excluded from that statement so is it okay to change governments like how some appear to change, or short-change, their spouses?

Billster: What a succinct and in-depth analogy. I bet it took hours of research and thinking to come up with such a comparison.

Sometimes I really wonder, how did we Malaysians allow such dingbats to run our country for over 50 years. We are much at fault.

Tehachapi: It is so typical of Umno leaders that they are only the ones who know how to govern the country and to them, no other parties beside Umno-BN should rule.

This is not only against the fundamental principle of democratic rule, but I can give at least 10 reasons why we must vote for change:

1) When a government has lost the implicit trust and respect of the people, it must not overstay its welcome.

2) When there is a void of leadership with vision and sense of mission to lead to a better future for all its people.

3) When self-interest and vested interests rule supreme and when public interests are trampled and despised. When the government has ceased to listen, investigate and act.

4) When corruption, poor judgement, selective persecutions and biased prosecutions become the norm of government.

5) When most social institutions and public administration agencies have all broken down, and public policies are sidelined in preference to self-interests.

6) When people no longer are optimistic about their outlook for life in this country and when migration of talent people seems the only choice for survival.

7) When law and order is breaking down and when law enforcement agencies are implicated with criminal groups in search of monetary gains.

8) When our defence capabilities are weakened by politicians and when the defence budget is being embezzled without accountability to the safety and security of our armed personnel, and when life is cheapen to the extent that it is no longer the primary duty of the leaders to protect and safeguard the citizens of this country.

9) When our citizens are so divided that the entire social fabric is unraveling and the very loyalty of the citizens is being questioned.

10) When hope is lost and when a cloud of uncertainty and gloom has descended on this land.

Tell us one good reason why Umno-BN should not be replaced through the ballot box.

Telestai!: What a silly and ridiculous comparison. In the first place, you do not keep a boyfriend for 55 years.

Secondly, if your boyfriend abuses you repeatedly, it is logical to change him within two or three months.

Thirdly, we owe no loyalty to a government that failed to perform despite being voted into power for five decades. The long and short of it, it is easier to change a government than a boyfriend.

Absalom: Rafidah, you are wrong. Change is absolutely necessary at least for check and balance purposes.

Which is why, developed countries have two parties (like the Democrats and the Republicans in the United States), so that there is option to change if one party failed to perform.

Right now, in Malaysia, to say that the BN did not perform will be an understatement. After all ‘did not perform' is better that being irresponsible and negligent.

The people in BN have so blatantly abused their positions of power, enriched themselves and neglected the nation that Malaysia has fallen far behind countries such as South Korea, Taiwan and Singapore.

However, certain top BN people like former PM Dr Mahathir Mohamad and his sons, Sarawak CM Abdul Taib Mahmud, ex-MIC boss S Samy Velu, former finance minister Daim Zainuddin and so on - these people seem to have done extremely well for themselves.

Also, when one party has a monopoly on ruling, some people may even get away with murder, literally. To stop the rot, we need to change, and Pakatan is the option for now.

HYL: Not changing our present government is akin to putting up with an abusive husband who has been abusing us for more than 50 years.

Wanita Umno has been advocating or advising women to stop putting up with abusive husbands so why are you now Rafidah asking us to do otherwise?

Indeed, with your combative personality, I don't think you would put up with someone abusing you for even one second.
Headhunter: Rafidah, you change your boyfriend if he steals from you, prone to violence, selfish, a racist, a bigot and unrepentant for all the bad things he has done to others.

And if you still stick with him if he's all that, then you are absolute idiot and you and your boyfriend deserve each other.

Tehachapi: Every single Umno veteran who had swindled the people and embezzled state money ought to be investigated by the new government for recovery of such monies and to have the fraud and crimes disclosed in public.

These individuals ought to be shamed, not adored and elevated as great leaders, worthy of our respect.

Gordon Gecko: The world is singing to the tune of ‘Change the world' - Eric Clapton, ‘Winds of change' - Scorpions and ‘A change will do you good' - Sheryl Crow.

Here in Malaysia, Umno-BN's Rafidah is still caught in a time warp and singing ‘Changing government not like changing boyfriend', - a 50s Umno hit still being played in the jukebox in the dance halls of Umno, MCA, Gerakan and MIC.

Wise guy: Changing girlfriends? I always changed them. Changing government? This time I will. - Malaysiakini